Happy LaBoURGER Day at Goddard's Flippin' Burgers!

Ah yes, La-bourger Day, when all Canadians get a day off to eat burgers. Burgermeister and I found ourselves in Bancroft for the long weekend and just had to take advantage of a mini-tour. With the demise of Kirby Burger, Ace Submarine and some negative experiences at other stops, we were excited to see a classic purveyor of beef on our trip north. So while Hamburglar and Small Fry were sunning themselves on Toronto Island's nudie beach, we were doing our beef-eating duty for the good of humanity.

Goddard's Flippin' Burgers used to be a small roadside stand with take-out only. They now have a new Dine-in section with plenty of parking. Conveniently located on the main strip at 181 Hastings St. North, we were lured in by the aroma of flame grilled beef. I have to say, for a small place, the burger selection was plentiful. Besides the basic 100% beef burgers, with cheese, classic 'banquet' style, and other favourites (hot dogs, sausages, bacon cheese dog, peameal on a bun), the menu features 7 oz International Burgers for $7.99 each. For $11.99 you can make it a FLIPPIN' FEAST with a small order of fries and a canned pop. See the menu pic for options!

Burgermeister had the Mexican burger, in Extra Hot! style. Definitely delicious, and with a real bite, he noted that the heat was not evenly distributed. There were pockets of 'extreme' but by the end of the burger, it was all a spicy mouth-watering fiesta. As usual, the Meister had his 'bun issues'; not hot enough, no options. However, the buns were fresh and soft, and sunk into the burger nicely. BM gave his burger a solid 8. As noted, when you start with good quality, fresh ingredients, and cook them on a flamin' hot grill, you can't go wrong. All the truffles and fois gras in the world can't help you if you don't start with good beef.

I went for the American Burger...the Yankee Doodle Dandy! I also rated my burger an 8 because I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the beef. Nicely seasoned, done to perfection, juicy goodness. My one issue was the sauteed onions. They needed to be cooked longer; sauteed they were not. Keep them brewing. The blue cheese was lovely (though I'd like a bit more next time).

We shared a side of poutine and rated it a 7. The fries were very good but the cheese and gravy were average. The gravy was just your basic canned or bottled, and it was satisfactory but nothing special. The fries were fresh and delicious and next time I'd get them straight up.

We met Nadia the owner (pictured). She was lovely and pleasant, and just as happy as she looks in her photo. She told us all about the place, and her connection to the area. She knew the customers and was sure to introduce the other servers to the diners. Goddard's is normally closed on Mondays but stays open for the long weekends. Regulars should be aware that they close down for January, so get your fix in before then!

Apparently they have funnel cakes and we saw some beautiful cupcakes in the case. I wish I'd gone for that too.

I am dying to go back to try the West Indian Burger or the Jamaican. I wish Bancroft were a lot closer.

For a road burger, this place is an 8. Excellent quality, juicy and satisfying, with that small town hospitality that you always hear about, this place is a jewel in the mineral capital of Canada.


No website available but be sure to 'like' them on Facebook!

Woody's Burgers. We take the Etobicoke challenge!

It was a windy post-Fan-Expo day in Etobicoke. We were happy to see the return of Triple Bypass at our table, particularly since Small Fry was noticeably absent. On that subject, I want to wish Small Fry well, after his collapse due to exhaustion. On behalf of the Burger Tour crew I would like to wish him a speedy recovery, and let him know we do not believe the rumours and news reports speculating on a candy floss problem or fizz candy overdose. Your chair is waiting at our next greasy table, Small Fry!
I had heard a lot of good things about Woody's from a number of people. I felt it was time to get out of the snobbery and hob-nobbery of Toronto's fancy burgers and get back to basics! Woody's is a burger joint located on Lakeshore Blvd. near Brown's Line. They are known for their burgers and pulled pork sandwiches done on wood burning grills, and you can smell the smokey goodness when you walk through the door. A small place with a generous patio, they also provide pick up and delivery for over 15 people, as well as "grill your own" supplies. The selection is hardy, with burgers ranging from basic to specialty. The one that caught my eye had the cheese infused right in the meat. Wow! They also feature a daily burger, salad, and drink special. Yes, they are licensed! As well, they have rootbeer on draught from a local supplier.


Triple Bypass went for the Alpine Burger and rated it a 9. The beef was excellent, with swiss cheese, smoked bacon, sauteed mushroom and onion and dijon mustard. He sided with 50/50 fries of regular and sweet potato, freshly made. Trip-B rated nothing lower than an 8, and that was the root beer, which was not to everyone's liking. Trip-B found it a little strong, with a bite, but really good. And I concur.

Hamburglar was a bit testy on this tour and next time I suggest he stick to alcoholic beer as his beverage choice. He went for the Four Cheese Stuffed cheeseburger (blue or his choice of cheddar), parmesan,feta, cheddar and roast garlic mayo. All the other toppings were fresh and juicy, and he enjoyed the root beer. As usual, he scored this burger a 9. I'm not sure what needs to be done to rate anything lower in his book.

Herr Burgermeister went for the well-known Boom. This bohemoth beef burger with pulled pork, grilled jalapenos, smoked gouda, fried onions, chipotle mayo and smoked ketchup rated an 8; a solid score for the Meister to give out, though he only gave an overall of 7. He did comment that the bun was cold, however fresh. He also prefers some bun options, such as whole wheat or flat bread. I guess someone's watching his weight.

Always the adventurer, Pickles here had the Burger of the Day, which was the Ukrainian and featured pickled beets, kolbassa, saurkraut and sour cream. A strange combo for sure, but definitely delicious. Next time I would add some cheese to the mix, but absolutely no complaints about the burger. And I liked the fries and rootbeer too. I rate this an overall 7.5.

Woody's is a basic diner style place with fresh, quality ingredients and cheery staff. You order at the counter, they give you a buzzer, and when it's ready, the buzzer goes off. As everything is freshly done, it does take a bit of time, but it's worth the wait. The inside is clean, but gets a bit smokey with the cooking. The patio is nice and big, and there were some cute guys at the next table. They could keep up on table cleanliness a bit, but the woman from the counter came out later and gathered our empties, and chatted with us about the rootbeer and the cooking process.
The sides available are: Woody’s Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, 50/50 (Regular &
Sweet Fries), Coleslaw, Caesar Salad, Feature Salad or Green Salad. Also, you custom dress your burger with whatever toppings you want.

The pricing was average with burgers ranging from $6 to $8. For another $3.50 you can add a combo of a canned pop and small side. Sure it's a bit pricier than fast food, but it's definitely not in the range of some of the urban hotspots we've been hitting lately. No truffles here!

We all agreed we'd like to go back and try other burgers, pulled pork, and definitely the Mac'n Cheese. Suffering no ill after-effects, our scores averaged out to a solid 8. If you're looking for a classic burger with some interesting options, check this place out. It's worth the trip out to Etobicoke.

http://www.woodysburgers.com/index.html